Ski-chair-lift display apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A display system is easily attached to the safety bar of a chair on a chair lift system at the beginning of a season. The display system includes brackets formed of rails holding clamp portions that may be fastened together to clamp the display system to a chair, such as to the safety bar across the lap of a rider. At the end of a season, the display system may be removed from each chair, the clamp portions removed, and the display systems stacked. In one simplified system, adjacent displays may be stacked back to back, and such adjacent pairs may be stacked with the displays in adjacent pairs positioned face-to-face. Thus, metal brackets on the backs need not scratch up the reading faces or surfaces. Meanwhile, the displays may be stored in minimal space, with great stability, while minimizing wear and damage.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application: is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/629,163, filed Feb. 23, 2015; which is a continuation in part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/766,400, filed Feb. 13, 2013, issued Feb.24, 2015 as U.S. Pat. No. 8,960,101; which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/781,082, filed May 17, 2010, issued Mar.5, 2013 as U.S. Pat. No. 8,387,542; all of which are hereby incorporatedby reference.

BACKGROUND

The Field of the Invention

This invention relates to ski lifts and in particular to informationaldisplays available and presented to riders on a chair lift system.

The Background Art

Riders of ski chair lifts may spend considerable time riding a lift up amountain side to the beginning of a particular run or series of runs,before skiing down one or more of those runs to the bottom to repeat theexercise. While skiing, a skier does exercise and may maintain bodywarmth by virtue of that exercise. However, considerable time is spentin a virtually stationary position in the chair. Moreover, considerabletime is spent waiting in line at some resorts. Thus, considerable timeis spent idle.

Typically, users may have only limited time to review area maps postedon signs about a ski resort. Instead, a user or rider of a ski lift maytypically have a folded map in a pocket. Folded maps are necessarilyproblematic. Removing bulky gloves to unfold a map and fold it up againis not highly effective, and can be very uncomfortable.

For example, high above the surface of the earth, ski chair lifts maysometimes be dozens of feet high in the air. Thus, riders are exposed towind and cold. Removing gloves and mittens while riding a chair life ishardly recommended due to the cold weather.

Riding a lift a user or rider is provided only limited opportunity formovement and thus is exposed to full force of the prevailing climate,which is typically cold to support the necessary environment for a skiresort. Comfort may be improved by keeping protective clothing in place.

Meanwhile, riders have a limited time upon completing a run to review alarger area map posted on signage at the resort. Moreover, a user mustgo back into a line to wait for the next chair. Thus, it would be anadvance if a user of a ski resort, a rider, a skier, could have accessto a map, already printed, mounted right on the lift chair that aparticular user is riding.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the foregoing, an apparatus and method in accordancewith the invention provide a system of displays or panels that may bedivided into an information region, and an advertising region.Typically, the information region occupies the largest and centralportion of a panel. Meanwhile, the panel may be mounted to a safety barthat drops down in front of the riders upon seating themselves on thelift chair.

A display system is easily attached to the safety bar of a chair on achair lift system at the beginning of a season. The display systemincludes brackets formed of rails holding clamp portions that may befastened together to clamp the display system to a chair, such as to thesafety bar across the lap of a rider. At the end of a season, thedisplay system may be removed from each chair, the clamp portionsremoved, and the display systems stacked. In one simplified system,adjacent displays may be stacked back to back, and such adjacent pairsmay be stacked with the displays in adjacent pairs positionedface-to-face. Thus, metal brackets on the backs need not scratch up thereading faces or surfaces. Meanwhile, the displays may be stored inminimal space, with great stability, while minimizing wear and damage.

Thus, an apparatus in accordance with the invention may include a systemof brackets to secure a spine to the safety bar, and a panel to thespine. The panel may include informational regions and advertisingregions to inform users concerning the resort, as well as othercommercially available benefits, such as lessons, ski equipment, food,other products, or sponsored events or products.

In certain embodiments, the visible panels may be subdivided physicallyas well as content-wise in order to be able to change out certainportions of a panel when that information become obsolete. Likewise,when sponsored information receives a new sponsor, it may require newinformation or sponsor information.

In certain embodiments, a bracket may be easily removed in order thatthe system may be stored out of the weather during off season times. Inparticular, a bracket system may include a rail that receives fingers orclamps into a slide path or a way along the rail. Thus, the brackets, orat least the clamps if not the rails, may be readily removed in order tostack the panels together. Removable clamps may both stabilize them as astacked array of panels, as well as reducing thickness, thus occupyingconsiderably less space.

Thus, the larger dimensions in a direction parallel to the horizontalplane of a panel occupies considerable space. It is a saving of space toremove the clamps from a rail, which together form the bracket system.Thereby, the panels may be laid face to face or back to back inalternating pairs. The rails may be slightly offset in order to minimizethe amount of space occupied by a set of stored panels. In due course,the systems may be reassembled. The brackets may be reassembled bysliding the clamps into the rails. With the attachment of a fewfasteners, the panels may be reinstalled on the safety bars of the liftchairs of a ski lift.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features of the present invention will become more fullyapparent from the following description and appended claims, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are,therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the inventionwill be described with additional specificity and detail through use ofthe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top, rear quarter perspective view of one embodiment of theapparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom rear quarter, perspective view of the apparatus ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective, exploded view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 4A is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 4B is a top plan view of the one alternative embodiment of theapparatus of FIGS. 1-4A, having the panel portion subdivided intoremovable sub-portions;

FIG. 5A is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1-4, this onehaving a more rectangular shape for the main panel;

FIG. 5B is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatusof FIG. 5A, this corresponding to FIGS. 1-5A, but providing for bothrectangular shaping of the main panel area, and also separable orremovable portions of the panel;

FIGS. 6A-6D are bottom plan views of the apparatus of FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A,and 5B, respectively;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the apparatus of FIGS. 4A and 5A;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of the apparatus of FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are right end elevation view of the apparatus of FIGS. 4and 5, respectively;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are left end elevation views of the apparatus of FIGS.4 and 5, respectively;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bracket inaccordance with the invention, comprising a rail on which twoindependent clamps may slide toward one another to be secured to oneanother, clamping a safety bar from a lift chair therebetween;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a bracketfor use in the apparatus of FIGS. 1-10, this particular bracket havingan integrally, even homogeneously, formed clamp formed with the rail,and a second freely sliding clamp engaging the rail;

FIG. 13 is a perspective, exploded view of the bracket assembly of theapparatus of FIGS. 1-10, and specifically the embodiment of FIG. 11,also showing alternative embodiments of the cross section of the rail;

FIG. 14 is a partially cut away view of the joint region, for theapparatus of FIGS. 1-10, and in particular, illustrates alternativemechanism for implementing an embodiment of FIGS. 1-10 and in particularthe embodiment of FIGS. 4B and 5B wherein the panel is subdivided intodifferent physical portions that are selectively attachable andremovable in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an apparatus inaccordance with the invention, this embodiment including both the chairof a chair lift and its associated panel assembly in accordance with theinvention; and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment thereof,using a rectangular panel assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It will be readily understood that the components of the presentinvention, as generally described and illustrated in the drawingsherein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of differentconfigurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of theembodiments of the system and method of the present invention, asrepresented in the drawings, is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention, as claimed, but is merely representative of variousembodiments of the invention. The illustrated embodiments of theinvention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, whereinlike parts are designated by like numerals throughout.

Referring to FIGS. 1-10, an apparatus 10 or system 10 in accordance withthe invention may include a display 12 or a panel 12. The display 12 maybe divided into regions 13 generally, including information regions 14and advertising regions 16. Each information region 14 may be designatedfor display of particular information. For example, the advertisingregion 16 may be devoted to advertising information. Meanwhile, thecentral region 14 may be designated for other, non-commercialinformation.

In one embodiment in an apparatus and method in accordance with theinvention, the information region 14 may contain a map of a ski area.The map may be available to multiple riders sitting on a chair lift. Inthe illustrated embodiment, a user may view the information region 14 inorder to determine a desirable area in which to ski. By providing a mapin the information region 14, a ski resort may thus improve traffic,better serve customers, and otherwise promote the satisfaction of usersof the ski area.

In general, an apparatus 10 may be assembled as part of a ski liftchair. In certain embodiments, the apparatus 10 be considered to be boththe display system 12 as well as the ski lift chair in its entirety.This may even include the towers. In other embodiments, the system 10may include simply that portion thereof that will attach to a liftchair.

Nevertheless, in general, chair lift systems typically include towersprovided with rollers across which a cable may pass. Chairs aresuspended by hangers or columns from the cable. Typically an engine ofsome type will operate at one end of a loop formed of the cable, such asat the bottom or at the top of a ski run. The motor, driving a largesheave about which the cable passes in a closed loop, thus moves thecable along, drawing the lift chairs with the cable up the mountain andback down.

Typically, riders in a ski resort environment will ride the chair lifefrom the bottom to the top. In some instances, maintenance personnel,safety personnel, and other staff may ride the chair lift down themountain as well. In sight-seeing venues, riders may actually ride thelifts upward and downward on a regular basis.

An apparatus 10 or system 10 in accordance with the invention, mayinclude a back bone 18 or spine 18 in addition to the display 12. Inorder to maintain the information region 14 and advertising region 16readable, to minimize distortion, to avoid random reflections of lighttherefrom, a spine 18 may increase the stiffness thereof.

As an engineering principle, a section modulus is increased in order tostiffen a material or a structure. Section modulus is increased whenmaterial is moved, placed, or otherwise located as far as possible fromthe neutral axis. The neutral axis is the axis of zero stress and istypically near the center of a weighted cross-sectional area, as definedby engineering principles of radius of gyration of a cross section, andso forth. Thus, in one embodiment of an apparatus and method inaccordance with the invention, a spine 18 may be formed to secure,fasten, bond, or otherwise attach or may be formed directly orintegrally with the display 12 in order to provide increased stiffnessthereof. The cross section may be rectangular, a box, a ‘T,’ and ‘L,’ achannel, or the like.

Stiffening the display 12 permits the maintenance of the desired shape.For example, in one embodiment, the display 12 may be substantiallyflat. In such an embodiment, any variation away from flatness tends toincrease the chance of random reflections of light at multiple angles.Such random curvature may greatly interfere with the visibility orreadability of materials due to random reflections of light makingdifficult the viewing of the display 12 from a single, selected anglechosen by a user.

The display 12 may be secured to a safety rail or safety bar of a chairlift by brackets 20. Various embodiments of brackets 20 are contemplatedin an apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention. Nevertheless, inone presently contemplated embodiment that has demonstrated many usefuland valuable features, a bracket 20 may include a rail 22 or railportion 22 and correspondingly fitted clamps 24. In certain embodiments,the rail 22 may be formed with a portion of a clamp 24 as ahomogeneously formed part thereof. In other embodiments, the clamps 24may be completely separable from the rail 22, and may be formedseparately in a manufacturing process.

One advantage of a rail 22 having no clamps 24 integrally formedtherewith is that the rail 22 may then be machined by a faster process,may be extruded, or may be otherwise manufactured in a simpler process.By contrast, inclusion of at least a portion of a clamp 24 as part of arail 22 may involve more complex forming, molding, and the difficultiesof release from such a mold.

The rail 22 and clamps 24 may be made of the same or differentmaterials. Similarly, the rail 22 and clamps 24 may be provided in sizesand numbers to provide adequate securement by the brackets 20 of thedisplay 12 to a chair apparatus of a chair lift.

In the illustrated embodiment, the clamps 24 may include apertures 25.The apertures 25 may be formed, for example, into or through a portionof each rail 22. Apertures 25 may thus receive fasteners.

In one embodiment, apertures 26 may also be formed in the spine 18. Theapertures 27 may receive securement mechanisms passing through the spine18, and into the apertures 25 of the brackets 20. For example, theapertures 25 may be threaded to receive a machine screw. In this way, acounter-bore on the apertures 26 of the spine 18 may receive the head ofa button-head, internal hex, or other machine screw. Thus, the spine 18may present a substantially completely flat surface for receiving thedisplay 12 secured thereto without projections extending therefrom.

In one embodiment of an apparatus and method in accordance with theinvention, the apertures 26 in the spine 18 for receiving the fasteningmechanisms of the brackets 20 may be clear holes, having no threadstherein. Likewise, at another location or several other locations,apertures 25 in the spine may be formed in order to secure the spine 18to the panel 12 or display 12. In such an embodiment, the apertures 28in the panel 12 may receive the same fasteners that pass through theapertures 27 in the spine in order to secure together the spine 18 andthe display 12. Thus, the spine 18 and display 12 or panel 12 may forman assembly, which assembly may be assembled after the rails 22 havebeen assembled with the spine 18. In this way, the apertures 26 of spine18 be occluded or hidden, typically, under the display 12. The display12 may typically be formed of a clear durable material havinginformation printed, embossed, painted, laminated, or otherwise fixed onthe underside thereof and thus protected from weather.

As a practical matter, the apertures 25 in the rails 22 and brackets 20may be aligned with both the apertures 26 and the apertures 27. In otherwords, the apertures 26 may be formed and placed to be identical to theapertures 27, in order to assemble the brackets 20, the spine 18, andthe display 12 with a single set of fasteners through a single set ofapertures 26, 27. Nevertheless, manufacturing processes are sometimesbest adapted to provide for sequential rather than simultaneoussecurement of several mechanisms to one another as described above.

For example, fasteners 30 pass through the spine 18 in the illustratedembodiment in order to secure the spine 18 to the brackets 20. Asillustrated here each of the fasteners 30 passes through the aperture 26in the spine 18, and is threaded into an aperture 25 in a rail 22 of abracket 20. In contrast, each fastener 32 passes through a panel 12 andthe apertures 28 therein, also passing through apertures 27 in the spine18. Typically, the fasteners 30 are threaded into the apertures 25 inthe rails 22. However, the fasteners 32 are typically formed to includeboth a screw or bolt portion and a nut portion in order to clamp thedisplay 12 and the backbone 18 or spine 18 together therebetween.Nevertheless, in certain embodiments, the fasteners 30 and 32 may becombined to use a single fastener 30 that passes through the display 12,through the spine 18, by way of apertures 28 in the panel 12, theapertures 27 in the spine, which act in dual purpose as the apertures 26as well. Thus, the fastener 30 ultimately threads into the apertures 25in the rails 22 of the brackets 20.

In general, a fastener 32 may be configured as a machine screw, having acounter sunk head, a cap head, or the like. Meanwhile, a nut 34 orkeeper 34 may secure to the fastener 32 and tighten along the fastener32 in order to clamp the display 12 or panel 12 securely against thespine 18 or backbone 18. Nevertheless, in certain embodiments, thefasteners 32 may include rivets. In such an event, a keeper 34 may oftenbe simply a washer to be held in place by the swelling of the rivet andopposite the head thereof. Meanwhile, other types of fasteners 32 may beused separately, or in combination with other fasteners describedherein.

In certain embodiments of apparatus and methods in accordance with theinvention, additional fasteners 36 may facilitate a selective separationand engagement of display 12 in which the information region 14 at thecenter of the display 12 is actually a physically separate piece fromthe advertising regions 16. For example, in the example of a ski resort,a map of a ski resort is not likely to change repeatedly or frequentlyin a season or often over several years.

By contrast, advertisers may contract for a single season. Accordingly,the advertising regions 16 may benefit from being replaced by newadvertising regions every season, or perhaps within a season.Accordingly, it may be beneficial to make the panel 12 or display 12 insuch a way that the advertising regions 16 are removable andreplaceable. In order to provide this interchangeability at disparatetimes between the information region 14 and the advertising regions 16,fasteners 36 may be developed and installed to provide alignment in allthree dimensions, or less, between the regions 14 and the regions 16.

For example, in certain embodiments, alignment of straight edges may besufficient to secure the alignment of the information region 14 and theadvertisement region 16 against rotation or translation in any directionthat may cross the line of demarcation therebetween. Nevertheless, ifthose edges are both flat, then they may slide vertically with respectto one another.

For example, in the plane of the display 12, a certain amount ofmisalignment may occur in a direction along the line of interfacebetween the information region 14 and the advertisement regions 16.Similarly, alignment perpendicular to the plane of the display 12 may beslightly problematic, absent some mechanism to maintain alignment.

The fasteners 36 may provide one manner in which a bolt, with or withoutlarge washers, a clip, a clamp, or the like may be provided as fasteners36 to enforce alignment. Likewise, a cross section may be made along theinterface between the information region 14 and the advertisement region16 in order to secure alignment in a direction perpendicular to theplane of the panel 12.

Referring to FIGS. 11-13, while continuing to refer generally to FIGS.1-15, an apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention may rely on abracket 20 comprising a rail 22 supporting a clamp 24. In certainembodiments, one of the clamps 24 may actually be formed into the rail22. In other embodiments, the rail 22 may be of a constant crosssectional area and shape, receiving therein two clamps 24. One benefitto the latter configuration is that the apparatus 10 may be stowedduring the off-season more readily.

For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 11, the clamps 24 may be removedfrom the rails 22. The resulting additional thickness of a rail 22 addedto the spine 18 and the panel 12 is about an inch or less. If the rail22 is formed with one of the brackets 24 as a monolithic and homogenousextension thereof, then the total thickness may be something closer to 3inches. Moreover, the shape of a clamp 24 may render a stack of panels12 quite unstable.

In contrast, the uniform dimension and the straight line or planerepresented by the externally exposed surface of each of the rails 22will tend to provide a stabilizing influence. For example, the apparatus10 may be stowed with the clamps 24 completely removed from the rails22. In this way, the various instances of the apparatus 10 may be placedalternating face-to-face together, and then back-to-back together inalternating pairs throughout a stack. Each of the rails 22 may be offsetcompared to the adjacent rails 22 of the next display 12 in order. Inthis way, even the ribs or spine 18 may be offset in stacking. Thus, twoof the apparatus 10 may be placed with rails facing, but offset, in sucha way that the entire thickness of a stacked pair is only increased by⅛th inch. This may provide almost double the number panels 12 stacked upin a given space. Storage and stowing are operational and spaceconsiderations.

The exploded view of FIG. 13 illustrates one manner in which a rail 22may be configured, to have a base portion 38 into which the aperture 25will be formed, such as by drilling. Meanwhile, along the length of therail 22, the cross sectional configuration provides a way 40. A foot 42or foot portion 42 of a clamp 24 may be set away from the main body ofthe clamp by a stem 44. In certain embodiments, the material of theclamp 24, including the stem 44 and its attached foot 42 may be forged,machined, cast, molded, or otherwise manufactured by a suitable method.

The foot 42 slides into and along the rail 22 in the way 40. The way 40may connect directly to a slot 46 formed in the top wall 54 of the rail22. Accordingly, the way 40 may be provided with a detent. The detentmay be one of the fasteners 30 formed and sized to extend slightly intothe way 40. For example, at an appropriate point, one of the fasteners30 may extend into the aperture 25, and out into the way 40. If such alocation is artfully chosen, then the feet 42 of two opposing clamps 24riding in that way may effectively bracket the detent (such as afastener 30) in order to maintain their own position. An aperture 48 maybe a completely clean aperture 48 lacking any threads. Meanwhile, acorresponding aperture 50 may be threaded into the correspondingopposite bracket clamp 24. In certain embodiments, a fastener 52, suchas a machine screw or the like, may pass through the clear aperture 48and thread into a threaded aperture 50. Thus, the two opposing clampssliding in the rail 22 may be drawn together.

If a detent 49 is provided, it may be a set screw in the side of a rail22, a welded or other button limiting movement, a fastener 30 may extendthrough the threaded aperture 25 and into the way 40, to fit between thefeet 42 of the two opposing clamps 24. The fastener 52 may secure thetwo clamps 24 together. The detent 49 extending into the way 40registers the two clamps 24 at fixed position along the rail 22. In thisway, the two clamps 24 may be registered at a position along the way 40by the detent 49. They are restrained to remain with the rail 22 by thetop wall 54 wrapped around each of the feet 42 to secure it within theway 40.

Referring to FIG. 13, the way 40 may be formed to have any particularlyuseful cross section. For example, the base 38 may be made of a suitablethickness in order to provide sufficient purchase for a fastener 30threaded into the aperture 25. Meanwhile, the shape of the way 40 mayprovide for registration, clamping, easy sliding, or the like accordingto its shape. Some shapes contemplated may include a rectangle, atriangle, a trapezoid, a circle, or other suitable cross section.

In the event that one of the clamps 24 is integrally or homogeneouslyformed with the rail 22, manufacturing costs will probably be comparablyhigher. If instead, the rail 22 is an extruded part, then substantiallylarge lengths, even continuous lengths, of the rail 22 material may beextruded, and cut to length at a later time. Thus, the costs andmanufacturing difficulty made be simplified by using a continuous rail22 of a constant cross section.

Nevertheless, if a clamp 24 is formed integrally or homogeneously with arail 22, then that fixed clamp 24 may set the registration point againstwhich the opposing clamp 24 will be drawn by a fastener 52.

Referring to FIG. 14, while continuing to refer generally to FIGS. 1-15,a joint 60 may be formed at the interface between an information region14 and an advertising region 16 of a display 12 or panel 12. In theillustrated embodiment, various forms of registration elements 62, 64provide registration against the possibility of misalignment and surfaceroughness in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the display 12 orpanel 12.

For example, a male registration element 62 may be formed to be a simplecorner, a corner extending out from a flat surface, a semicircleextending out from a flat surface, a semicircle, a trapezoid, atrapezoid extending out from a flat surface, or even a simple, flat,abutting joint 60. Likewise, other shapes, such as a rectangular crosssection having rounded edges for ease of installation may form theregistration elements 62, 64.

In practice, the advertising region 16 may be provided with a detent,such as a ridge, boss, or the like extending slightly above the surfaceof the male registration element 62. Similarity, a slight undercut forthe corresponding mating registration element 64 may also include adetent, or simply grip the detent provided on the opposite piece. Inthis way, the advertising region 16 may actually snap to the informationregion 14, or visa versa. Nevertheless, in certain embodiments, a pairof washers 66 or other fasteners may align the surfaces of theadvertising region 16 and the information region 14.

In the illustrated embodiment, one or more washers 66, may be placedagainst the adjoining information region 14 and advertising region 16about an aperture formed to receive a fastener 36 a. The fastener 36 amay thus pass through the aperture formed at the joint 60 in order toadmit the fastener 36 and its keeper 34, such as a nut. Accordingly, thewashers 66 may be compressed together by the fastener 36 and itsassociated keeper 34 in order to maintain alignment in a directionperpendicular to the horizontal plane of the display 12. Alternativeembodiments of fasteners 36 are illustrated as a bolt 36 a, a clip 36 b,a rivet or plastic snap connector 36 c, a pop rivet 36 d, or the like.Each may fasten, contain, or both, the two regions 14, 16 in alignment.

Other embodiments may rely on extensions of the spine 18 extendingforward to the front edge of the panel 12 in order to maintain thealignment between adjacent regions 14, 16 at their shared joint. Thespine, for example, may extend coincident with the panel 12 in itsentirety. The spine 18, in such an embodiment, may be perforated withweight reduction apertures removing material in circles or other shapesin order to maintain maximum section modulus at minimum weight. Runnersmay extend the spine forward along the joint shared between two regions14, 16. A narrow H-Beam may receive each region 14, 16 at the joint.

Referring to FIG. 15, while continuing to refer generally to FIGS. 1-15,a chair 70 or a lift chair 70 may be suspended by a hanger 72 extendingfrom a supporting cable 73 and extending down to support a yoke 74.Typically, in order to accommodate riders loading, and standing on skisat the loading position, the front of a chair 70 must be completelyclear. Thus, a rider standing in front of the chair 70 as the chair isbrought around and behind the rider will strike close to the knees (backof the knees) of a rider. Thereupon, the rider sits down as the chair 70sweeps forward.

Accordingly, the yoke 74 maintains the front of the chair 70 completelyclear. Thus, no obstruction is present in front of the seat 76 nor infront of the back 78, at least where the riders will be. Thus, the seat76 and the seat back 78 will be clear.

However, having riders traveling by cable 73 many feet in the air abovethe surface of the mountain, can be dangerous. In order to keep ridersin their seats, and protect against falls, a safety bar 80 may beconfigured, outwards, to pivot up or otherwise out of the way prior toriders seating themselves on the seat 76 of chair 70. Upon sitting downon the seat 76, and leaning against the back 78, a rider may draw downon, or an attendant at the ski area may actuate, the safety bar. Thusthe safety bar 80 may be dropped down, at the front, about a pivot 82.

The safety bar 80 may be formed of a tubular material. Accordingly, eachof the clamps 24 may be shaped to have a somewhat ‘V-shaped’ interiorsurface. Thus, the clamps 24 may be drawn together to secure the bracket20 against a safety bar 80, typically accommodating diameters of fromabout one inch to about 2 inches. Most safety bars 80 are circular incross section, having a diameter of from about 1 to about 2 inches. Mosthave a one inch diameter, and others, common to the industry, typicallyhave a diameter of up to one and three quarters inches. Thus, anapparatus 10 in accordance with the invention may be thought of as theassembly 10 attached to the chair 70, and particularly to the safety bar80. Alternatively, one may think of the apparatus 10 as including boththe chair 70, and the entire assembly supporting the display 12 or panel12.

In certain alternative embodiments, an apparatus in accordance with theinvention may include a display that is electronic, or a combination ofelectronic and a print medium such as painting, ink, paper, transfer,heat, or the like. For example, a display with interlockable displaymodules is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication US20050093768, filed byJohn A. Devos Oct. 31, 2003 and published May 5, 2005. A held computerdevice having a display is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,540 issuedDec. 11, 2001 to Louis Dischler. It uses battery or solar power on adisplay for a hand-held device.

Also by way of examples, U.S. Patent Publication US20060243328, filedApr. 28, 2005 by Raymond L. Bessmertny was published Nov. 2, 2006 andincludes an LCD display relying on solar power, which may be stored forpowering backlighting for nighttime viewing. Also, various meterdisplays rely on power collected for use in isolated or remote stations,such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,662,279 issued Mar. 4, 2014 toGavin Jones. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,890, issued Oct. 30, 2001 toJ. Carl Cooper discloses use of a display of electro optical type suchas LCD, LED, CRT powered by a solar cell.

In other art, methods and apparatus for a hazard warning system aredisclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. US20070052533, filed Aug. 24,2005 by Victoria Glazer and published Mar. 8, 2007, including an LCDscreen, network connection, and solar cell power. An apparatus foraccessing electronic data is found in U.S. Patent Publication No.US20010013544, filed Dec. 22, 2000 by Spencer A. Rathus and publishedAug. 16, 2001, disclosing a solar cell for powering a controller with anLED display, passive LCD, or active matrix LCD display communicating toa user. Even a passenger keyboard and display are disclosed in U.S.Patent Publication No. US20060075934, filed Sep. 28, 2005 by Pranil Ramand published Apr. 13, 2006, including a display screen, which may be atouch-sensitive screen and have LEDs and LCD types of displays.

All the foregoing references are hereby incorporated herein byreference. Any of the technologies identified therein may beincorporated into a display in accordance with the invention to supportone or more mechanisms for selection and display of information in thesystem 10. These may include one or more of remote broadcast ofinformation, storage of information, remote control of selection anddisplay of information, user interactivity to control selection anddisplay of information, remote powering by solar or other mechanisms,and so forth.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative,and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States LettersPatent is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a lift chair comprising a seatand capable of suspending from a movable line of a lift system; a safetybar selectively positionable between a safe position, in front of thelift chair and an unsafe position thereabove; a display assemblycomprising a panel, a spine connected to stiffen the panel by increasingthe section modulus thereof, and a securement to secure the displayassembly to the safety bar; and the display assembly, wherein the panelis formed to have a top surface presenting an image containinginformation on a planar surface to be viewable and discernible from theseat when the safety bar is in the safe position.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the information comprises data characterizing anenvironment in proximity to the lift chair.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the panel moves in rigid body relation with the safety bar. 4.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the securement comprises a clampselectively engaging with and removing from the safety bar.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4, wherein the panel is configured to stack flatafter removal of the clamps from the display assembly.
 6. The apparatusof claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of seats provided with asingle safety bar operable in association therewith; and a plurality ofthe display assemblies, each of the display assemblies corresponding toan individual seat of the plurality of seats.
 7. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the display assemblies are shaped to be stably selfsupporting when stacked.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein adjacentdisplay assemblies are shaped to fit in pairs aligned parallel to oneanother with adjacent top surfaces alternating between facing andreverse to one another.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theinformation is visible in at least one of the top surface and a bottomsurface, opposite the top surface, through the panel as a transparentmedium.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image furthercomprises at least one of a heat transfer, printing, and a bondedmaterial fixed to the panel.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theinformation comprises geographical information corresponding to thelocation of the lift chair.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein thedisplay assembly further comprises an adjuster to adjust orientationthereof with respect to the safety bar.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12,wherein the adjuster is effective to selectively hold, release, rotate,and fix the display assembly with respect to the safety bar.
 14. Anapparatus comprising: a safety bar capable of securement to a liftchair, comprising a seat and operating as part of a lift system, thesafety bar shaped to extend across in front of the seat; the safety bar,being selectively positionable between a safe position with the safetybar extending across in front of the lift chair, and an unsafe positionelsewhere; a display assembly comprising a panel having a top surfacelimiting directions of reflection of light therefrom to a finite number,a spine increasing a section modulus of the display assembly, and asecurement; and an image, secured to the panel and presenting theinformation.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information isvisible and discernible from the seat during operation of the liftsystem.
 16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the safety bar isprovided with a pivot above the seat about which the safety bar pivotsbetween the safe position and the unsafe position, above the safeposition.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the panel ispositionable to be visible and discernible from the lift chair by movingthe safety bar from the unsafe position to the safe position.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 14, wherein the display panel further comprisesregions segregated according to the nature of a portion of theinformation presented thereon, including an information regionpresenting geographical information corresponding to the location of thelift chair and a commercial region presenting advertising informationcorresponding to a sponsor thereof.
 19. The apparatus of claim 14,wherein the image presents at least one of geographical informationcorresponding to the lift chair, commercial information presentingadvertising, and emergency information.
 20. A method comprising:providing information corresponding to a ski area; selecting a liftchair having a seat portion and a back portion to support a rider;selecting a safety bar cooperatively arranged with the lift chair toposition selectively between a safe position opposite the back portionin front of the seat portion, and an unsafe position thereabove;providing a display assembly comprising a panel portion, a spinestiffening the panel, and an image fixed to the panel to be viewable inat least one position of on and under the panel portion; the providingthe display, comprising selecting the panel portion to limit directionsof light reflected thereon to a finite number; the providing thedisplay, comprising orienting the panel portion with respect to thesafety bar to render the information in the image viewable from a riderposition when the safety bar is in the safe position, wherein the panelportion is planar.